The police department is part of a multi-agency task force the state attorney formed to come up with recommendations on how to deal the epidemic.

Officials hope to drive off bad sober home operators while protecting recovering addicts.

"We also have an aggressive code enforcement group that we will go to houses that have repeat overdoses,” added Goldman. “We've actually closed houses down using code enforcement."

The task force has until January 17, 2017 to report back to state lawmakers with its legislation proposals.

"We have too many in certain neighborhoods,” said U.S. Representative Lois Frankel. “It's changing the character of the neighborhood.”

CBS12 Investigates also asked what is being done on a federal level.

"At the federal level we are working on getting guidance from the federal agencies that would enable the local governments to craft good legislation that abides with federal law,” said Frankel. “It would have balance between the need to get people back into a community who have been addicted to drugs.”

Frankel sent a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Department of Housing and Urban Development requesting a review of federal and state oversight of sober homes.